The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control had asked Nigerians to endure more and allow the lockdown to be extended. It says it was not yet time to relax the lockdown.
This appeal was made through the Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, during a media briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja on Friday.
He explained why the lockdown should not be relaxed as there are efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic across the world.
Why noting that the lockdown was having negative effects on the economy as it held back many Nigerians from going about their daily activities, he said it is important to be patient and endure lockdown extension to have safe and healthy society when the economy would be reopened.
He expressed that “We will eventually exit this stage and restart our normal life but that stage is still a while to come and I ask for your endurance, support, and patience. Lots of efforts are going on across the world to find new therapy, to find a vaccine.
“Everybody is pushing hard in this direction. We need an unprecedented level of caution to continue carrying out the preventive measure that we have advised many times on this platform.
“Many families have not been able to bury their dead, rescheduled their marriages and baptism and everything they are doing. In a way, life is in suspense. Everyone recognizes the sacrifice Nigerians have made but we have to encourage one another to continue to a position where we can relax some of that (lockdown) but until we get to that place, we have to continue in the short term.
“We are working hard to reach a point where we can relax some of these measures but we are not there yet. We ask you to join us to continue this journey with us and amplify these messages that we are giving. We are happy to have the leadership of the Nigeria Labor Congress here with us today (Friday).”
March 29, the Federal Government ordered the lockdown of Lagos, Ogun, and Abuja for 14 days to stop the spread of the pandemic. Many states also did the same thing.
April 13, the increase in the number of the infected persons made the President to extend the lockdown for another 14 days.
Presently, the coronavirus pandemic has spread to 26 states in Nigeria including the FCT. According to the NCDC, Nigerian has recorded 1,095 cases across the country. 208 patients had been discharged while 32 had died.
On Friday evening, the NCDC recorded 114 new cases with 80 in Lagos, 21 in Gombe, five in Abuja, two in Zamfara and Edo, one in Ogun, Oyo, Kaduna and Sokoto states
Ihekweazu reminded Nigerians that the elderly and people with other illness were the most vulnerable and discourage any form of traveling.
He said, “We must protect them. In protecting them, if they are living in the village, leave them there and support them with whatever resources you have. But please, now is not the time to encourage travelling”.
